Music and More
by HoneyFlower15
Summary: Momo is feeling down ever since the war and the Men and Women's Shinigami Association have decided to hold a festival to cheer everyone. Only both groups want to beat the other so badly they forget what the point of the festival is. Shuuhei and Momo decide to work together to remind them all but in the process they discover more about them and their feelings. MomoxShuuhei


It had been only a few months after the war with Aizen and many of the Shinigami were still recuperating. Everything the man did shook their world so much and it would take a lot of time to repair the damage that he had caused. While many in the Soul Society have recovered from their wounds in the war there are some who still bare hidden scars that cannot be healed through regular medicine. Those wounds take time and more...so much more than you could ever hope to think.

Momo Hinamori was one of those who had those hidden scars. She had finally come to terms that Aizen was a bad man and no longer considered him an ally or called him Captain. Or at least she tried too. There were a few times that she caught herself saying "Captain Aizen" which caused many to give her looks. There were still a few that believed she was loyal to the man and many who were waiting for her to snap. But she refused to give in to them. She would not allow herself to break down again because of that man. Toshiro had done so much for her, he helped her everyday as best as he could and it did help, a lot, but she needed more. She knew her old friend deeply cared for her but she needed so much more if she would become well again.

"Hinamori," said girl tore her gaze from the window and looked to see that Rangiku and the rest of the girls were looking at her. They seem anxious and appeared to be waiting on her. "What's your answer?"

Momo blinked, mind drawing a blank. She hadn't been listening to anything that was going on in the meeting at all. They were having their usual Women's Shinigami Association Meeting but she found it hard to concentrate on anything recently which has now lead her to this dilemma. "I'm sorry." She figured it was better to come clean and apologize rather than lie and make up some excuse. Rangiku smiled and wave her apology off. "No need to worry, Hinamori. We were just talking about doing a music festival." "A music festival?" she felt herself perk up instantly at those words. She loved festivals and music. "Yes, that's right," Nanao said, fixing her glasses and told everything to Momo that they had planned out. "We will be working with the men on this project. We figured it would be a good way to help bring the Soul Society and the people some means of comfort. Many are still recovering from the war and with Captain Yamato's permission we will use the festival to bring everyone's spirits up." She explained, looking down at her friend. "That sounds wonderful." She couldn't agree more with her friends and their plans. It sounded like the perfect chance to get everyone smiling and happy again. "We figured you might like it." Rangiku smiled, sending a playful wink at her friend. She had been worried about her for a while but she was glad to see her smiling once more. And she was sure her Captain would be just as pleased. "Yes, this plan is perfect and while we may be working with the men I expect you all to remember that we must win the contest." She cried and the girls cheered. "Um...?" Momo wasn't so sure about this plan anymore. "Can it just be a friendly competition?" she didn't feel like fighting with the boys so soon after they had just finished fighting in the war.

"Never, we must win at all cost!" Nanao was serious and so were the rest of the girls in their group. Everyone was talking about what kind of music they would produce and how they refused to let the boys beat them. They were so wrapped up in their plans they didn't see Momo slip out of the room or as Byakuya walked in. They only noticed when he used his Bankai to blow them all away.

~X~

Momo sighed from her spot on the fountain. She had managed to grab some sweets from a nearby shop to eat lunch. Sadly no one wanted to eat with her because they were all so busy preparing for the festival. _"Everyone is so determined." _She felt bad for not being as excited as everyone else but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't come up with any ideas to contribute. She loved music and even liked to sing and dance but none of the songs she thought of would work, most of them were duets and she doubted Toshiro would be willing to sing with her. So with a defeated slouch she let out another sigh.

Only this time she wasn't alone.

She jumped, head turning in the direction of the other sigh and found Shuuhei Hisagi sitting next to her. He had one arm prompted up on his leg as his cheek rested in his hand, eyes glazed over with a distance look on his face. He looked deep in thought about something.

"Hisagi-senpai?" her voice caused him to break out of his thoughts and turn his gaze onto her small figure. "Is something the matter?" she wondered what could have caused him to behave in such a way. Usually he's always cheerful and happy about things.

Shuuhei looked down at her, eyes looking over her tiny form before sighing again. "I'm just thinking about the music festival and the contest. I'm guessing you girls already had a meeting about it."

Momo nodded, "Yes, we just finished discussing it. Everyone is planning on what song they want to do."

"I see," Shuuhei frowned, eyes once again getting a distance look in them. "They're lucky. At least they have an idea. I don't have anything."

Momo frowned herself, her gaze going to her lap. "I don't have any ideas either."

The two let out another sigh, depressed at by the fact they were clueless to what they would be doing for the festival.

"It doesn't help that the guys are so determined to beat the girls and win the contest." He commented after a second, stealing one of the sweets his old classmate had.

Momo didn't mind him taking any and moved the container for him to have some more. "The girls are the same. They're trying to do everything possible to win."

"I get why they wanna win but I think it would be better to put aside their differences and just focus on making the festival fun." Shuuhei took more of the sweets, enjoying the flavor and the ability to finally vent out everything that had built up in him since the start of the meeting. "After all, the whole point of this dumb thing is so we can all recover from the war." His face was downcast, hidden in the shadows so she couldn't see his face.

But she knew. She knew what kind of face he was making because she has made the very same one many times. She wasn't the only one who had been betrayed and lost someone in the war. His old Captain had betrayed them but in the end he had shown them he was truly a good guy but died with his best friend and lieutenant by his side. Shuuhei had taken his betrayal and death hard, just as she had taken it when she finally accepted the truth about Aizen. "If only they could work together," she muttered, hand reaching down to grad the last sweet but had been caught in the hold of Shuuhei who had also been going in for the last sweet.

The two stared at the sight. His much larger hand was holding her smaller one and seemed to mesmerize them. Momo felt her heart skip a beat at the sight but it allowed an amazing idea to come. "That's it," she jumped to her feet, making sure to keep hold of his hand as she moved to stand in front of him. "We can perform together."

Shuuhei would be lying if he said he wasn't shocked by this sudden declaration. He wasn't used to Momo having sudden bursts of energy. He was used to the soft quiet speaking girl. "What do you mean?" he gulped, cheeks turning pink at the fact that they were still holding hands.

"I mean you and I can enter the contest together and show them that by working together we can make the festival great for everyone." She explained, eyes sparkling at the idea. She had wanted to perform in the festival so much but she wanted to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves above all else. This was the perfect chance to do so. "Unless you don't want." She loosened her hold on his hand. Maybe she thought it was a good idea but he might think the same.

He didn't give her any time to doubt because he tightened his hold on her hands, standing up and wore a determined smile on his face. "I'm in. Let's do this." He would do this. He wanted to perform just as much as she did and he would make sure that they made everyone understand that this festival was about cheering up their comrades and not about winning some contest.

~X~

"Are you sure we need to do this in the human world?" Momo wasn't sore sure about their plan. After spending three days together they had come up with a song and dance they would do but none of the places in the Soul Society would work. They were all to out in the open and if anyone saw them their plans would be ruined.

Shuuhei had suggested they go to the human world for privacy and he felt it was the perfect place to be. "Trust me on this. It's the only place where we can actually film." On his back was bag of clothes he would change into that he would perform in for their video. Everyone had been given the task to make either a video or perform live. They chose to do video because it was easier and this way if their two groups got really upset it would give them time to run away.

"Ok, I understand but..." her gaze shifted to stare at the three figures that were behind them. "Why are Captains Komamura, Ukitake, and Kyōraku coming with us?" she gestured to the three men that all held cameras in their hands.

Shuuhei only grinned and ruffled her hair. "Because they're our film crew." He had asked the three Captains that he knew would be willing to help them.

Momo pouted, pushing his hand away before he saw her face light up. Her hands gripping the bag that held her own change of clothes. "Ok," she understood why they were there and was happy to have people help them but that didn't mean that she didn't feel embarrassed. It was bad enough that soon the whole Soul Society would be watching them but to have the Captains film her was even more embarrassing.

Shuuhei only grinned, finding her shy behavior rather cute. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go." They signaled that they were ready and jumped through the gates once they opened. The trip to the human world was easy enough to make and it didn't take them long to land in their destination.

They landed in the park filled with many flowers, trees, and fountain in the center. It was the perfect spot for them to do their song and best of all it was private where the eyes of their comrades couldn't see them.

"Ok, while the Captains put up signs to keep the humans out you and I will go and change and once we're set up we'll do this thing." He winked at her, chuckling to himself when he saw another blush appear on her ivory skin and watched her run off to change. His eyes followed her tiny figure, a smile making its way onto his face only to be thrown off when he heard laughing behind him. With a sharp gaze he looked behind him and saw Captain Kyōraku grinning at him. "What?"

"Oh nothing," said Captain continued to grin, eyes shining with amusement. "I just think how cute you two are together." His comment had Shuuhei's face burn scarlet.

"Just what the hell are you saying old timer?" he forgot all about his manners at this moment. He didn't care if the guy was Captain, he didn't care for what he was implying.

Kyōraku felt his grin widen in size. He just loved teasing the young ones. "You know when a guy teases a girl it usually means he likes her."

His words had Shuuhei's face exploding. He couldn't believe what this man was saying. "What is the matter with you? Momo and I are just friends," he tried telling the man, trying to make him understand but strangely it felt like he was convincing himself more than the other man. "Besides I happen to like girls with a little more "oomph" up front." He made a gesture to his chest, showing that he liked women with bigger boobs before stalking away to change. The whole time thought he was thinking of Rangiku and how for once her chest seemed to big and how cute Momo looked in her formfitting uniform. _"Crazy old man. He's putting strange thoughts in his head."_

Kyōraku laughed out loud at the young man's actions. "Oh yeah, I made the right by doing this." He figured he would have fun with this project but he hadn't figured he would have this much. "Ah, Hinamori. I see you're ready. Lieutenant Hisagi just went to get changed so he should be done soon." He told the girl but she didn't seem to hear him. He noticed she was muttering to herself and looked crescent fallen.

"...they're not that small."

All her heard was that one line and it was enough to make him fall on the floor in laughter. He understood why the girl had such a sour look on her face and decided that he would have even more fun with this. He may even see some interesting results by the end.

"Why are you on the ground?" Ukitake had returned to Komamura to find their comrade was rolling around on the ground in laughter.

Kyōraku waved off his friends and stood back up on his feet. "Just an interesting thought that hit me," he patted his old friend on the shoulder. "I'll tell you all about it later over some sake."

"Are you still acting crazy, Captain?" Shuuhei had returned just in time to see the end of Kyōraku's laughing fit and wondered what really was going through his mind. His hands were stuffed in his pants pocket as he looked at the group and he felt his cheeks turn pink at the sight of Momo.

She wore a light blue sundress that was formfitting and showed over her figure very well. The sleeves were short and had a slight poof to them. The dress snug around her waist to show off her petite form as it flowed out at the bottom and blew with the breeze, giving her gentle look. She wore sliver heels with straps that wrapped around her ankles to give them a cute but sexy vibe.

He gulped, playing with the collar of his shirt. He had gone for a plan white t-shirt with a leather jacket that had red streak in the front on his left side. Faded blue jeans and black combat books to give him a bad boy look he had been going for but now he felt he had gone to casual and would pale in comparison to her. "You look nice." He said, trying to sound casual and not as nervous as he was suddenly feeling. He knew Momo was cute and had a pretty face but something seemed different about her. Seeing her in casual clothes instead of the Shinigami robes they had to wear gave her a different appearance all together. She looked nice, really nice.

Momo wasn't expecting a compliment from him. She overheard his conversation before about the girls he preferred and it hurt to know that he didn't see her as a woman. Not that she wanted him too. She just didn't like how she was always being compared to Rangiku just because her chest wasn't as big. But hearing him compliment her like that, seeing the honest look in his eyes made her heart feel light with happiness. "Thank you." She felt her cheeks glow pink and looked away, suddenly embarrassed.

Ukitake smiled at the two and their obvious behavior. "Alright everyone, we only have a short period of time to get this done. So I suggest we start this now before the others come looking for us." No one protested and everyone got into position, the Captains all taking their spots to film this scene from different angles as Momo and Shuuhei stood in front of each other.

Momo was nervous. She wasn't an outgoing person and to suddenly be singing and dancing in front of people had her nerves going a mile a minute. Her hands were shaking and her mind was drawing a total blank, making her forget the words to the song. She was freaking out. "Don't worry, you'll be great." And with just those words she calmed down instantly. She stared up at his smiling face and she felt all her anxiety leave her.

The music started up and the they took in deep breaths, one final smile from the two of them just before they started.

_Take my hand, take a breath  
Pull me close and take one step  
Keep your eyes locked on mine,  
And let the music be your guide._

Momo started singing. A song she learned instantly the moment she heard it. Rangiku had brought back many things from the human world and one of them was a CD full of songs that had the two girls squealing. She helped Shuuhei wrap his arms around her body, one hand tipping his chin so that their eyes meet and started to move along with the song.

_Won't you promise me (now won't you promise me, that you'll never forget)  
We'll keep dancing (to keep dancing) wherever we go next  
_  
Shuuhei joined in soon after for singing. He had hoped he would be able to use his guitar for the music festival but after some discussion they decided it would be better if he just sang and danced with Momo. Which was a good thing. No one had the heart to tell the guy he made their ears bleed when he played the instrument. But even though he wanted to play he found himself enjoying the dance he was doing. They started off slow, just basic steps before they really showed off their moves.

_It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you  
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do  
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better  
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)  
Can I have this dance_

They did twists and turns all over the park. Feet gliding over the pathway, spinning around the flower beds and letting their bodies become in tune with each other. He lifted her up at certain points during the song. Her arms going on his shoulders for support as one of her legs went up. They had only been able to practice for a few days but they were dancing perfectly together. The moves were in time and their singing was perfect. He spun her out and smiled as her dress spun with her, lifting up the bottom half and giving her an image of a flower blooming.

_Take my hand, I'll take the lead  
And every turn will be safe with me  
Don't be afraid, afraid to fall  
You know I'll catch you threw it all_

Shuuhei took the lead with singing next. He gave a short bow, holding out his hand and grinned when she took it. He spun her once more, his arms holding her as her back was pressed against his chest. He then dipped her, their foreheads touching before he spun her once more and watched her dance away.

_And you can't keep us apart (even a thousand miles, can't keep us apart)  
'Cause my heart is (cause my heart is) wherever you are_

Their hands reached out for each other as they each walked on the other side of the flowerbeds. Reaching out for one another before finally meeting at the end and began to dance together once more.

_It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you  
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do  
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better  
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)  
Can I have this dance_

Once more their dance started up, him turning and spinning her and lifting up her delicate body that seemed to fit perfectly with his much larger one. He didn't know how he missed it before. She was so light and agile on her feet. No wonder she had become a Soul Reaper, she was perfect for the job with her body. Rain started to come down but instead of stopping they continued to sing and dance in the rain. It seemed to add something special to their song.

_Oh no mountains too high enough, oceans too wide  
'Cause together or not, our dance won't stop  
Let it rain, let it pour  
What we have is worth fighting for  
You know I believe, that we were meant to be_

They broke apart, once again their hands were out to reach for each other as they ran around the fountain. Momo spun just before Shuuhei caught up with her and put his hands on her waist, lifting her onto the edge of the fountain as they continued to sing. Lightning struck but they didn't notice, their focus solely on their song and the moment. Their eyes met and as if something had come alive in both of them they leaned in closer. His arms wrapping around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck, their lips meeting as lightning struck again in the background. The rain making Momo's cap fall out and allowing her long hair to flow freely. They sang the last ling, eyes wide as they stared as if silently asking that just happened. They were shocked about what just happened but neither wanted to stop singing. They wanted to continue.

_It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you (like you)  
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do (way we do)  
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better  
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)  
Can I have this dance_

So they did. The continued with their dance, singing along with the music and staring up into each other's eyes the whole time. Suddenly these steps seemed more intense, more passionate and more alive than they were in the beginning. Momo's hair soaked from the rain but gave her an angelic look as she spun in his arms. Their eyes seeming never leaving each other, they were enchanted by what just happened and what they were seeing. It was as if they were seeing the other person in a sudden new light that made them glow in such a radiance it didn't seem possible. __

Can I have this dance  
Can I have this dance

They sang the last verse, coming to a stop where they began. Hands now intertwined as they leaned in closer. She was much shorter than he was but she was able to reach pass his chin, he bent his head so his forehead could touch hers again. They whispered out the last two verses, eyes wide as realization sunk in but neither were ready to move away from each other. Something happened between them during this song and dance number. They didn't know what it was and they weren't show what to think of it but they knew one thing, they were both trying to keep down the smile that wanted to form on their faces.

The sound of clapping released them from the trance and finally they remembered they weren't alone. "That was wonderful." Ukitake praised them, he and the rest of the Captains were standing under a tree to avoid getting soaked from the rain. They had gotten every shot they needed and were pleased with everything they saw.

"Now all you need to do is edit this film and I have much confidence that you'll win the music festival's contest." Komamura said with a soft smile. He had been able to see what had been going on with the two before they even started singing and he had high hopes for them.

"Yes, of course. We need to prepare the video for the contest." Momo tried her hardest to remain calm and not freak out as badly as she wanted too. So much had happened in such a short amount of time and she wasn't sure if she could handle it. _"We kissed..." _her hand went up to touch her lips, a strange tingling went through her body as she remembered how it felt. His arms wrapping around her body, their lips making contact soon after and it felt like an explosion had gone off. She should be ashamed of herself for getting so carried away. It was her first kiss and she had wanted it to be with the man she loved but she couldn't find it in herself to be angry at Shuuhei or what they had done. _"...I'm happy." _It was strange but kissing him made her feel giddy inside.

"Right, the video...?" Shuuhei couldn't believe he had totally forgotten about the video they were doing. They weren't just singing in the rain because they wanted to. They were doing this to make everyone see the festival was for all of Soul Society and not just about some contest. _"I kissed Momo!" _he couldn't believe he let himself get so caught up in the moment that he forgot what he was doing. His eyes went down to her and felt his cheeks burn at the sight of her touching her lips, a faraway look in her eyes. No doubt she was thinking about the kiss. He was too. He never imagined she would actually taste like peaches but she did and it made him lick his lips. He knew what he did wasn't a good thing but he didn't regret doing it. If anything he was pleased that it happened. _"I wonder if it was her first kiss?" _he knew the girl was very innocent but there was no way someone as cute as her would go for so long without kissing at least one person. If he had to guess he'd bet his money on Captain Hitsugaya. _"I'm dead!" _the moment he thought of the young Captain he froze over with fear. Everyone knew how protective he was over Momo and if he found out the two kissed when they aren't even in a relationship Hitsugaya would freeze him over and then shatter his frozen body until there was nothing left of him.

"Well we better head back," Kyōraku said before sending a grin towards the two young reapers. "Not unless you two have other plans." He winked and they both jumped.

"Nope."

"Not at all."

Without even looking at each other they ran to get changed and to head back home. They had a lot to do and even more to think about.

~X~

The festival came sooner than either Momo or Shuuhei had hoped. Ever since their kiss they've been avoiding each other. Both were to embarrassed to even attempt having a conversation with the other so instead they chose to avoid the other and prayed that the next time they saw each other it wouldn't be so awkward. Currently Shuuhei was leaning against one of the stands, a bottle of sake in his hands as he watched Rangiku perform in stage in what looked like underwear more than a costume. Most of the males in the audience were passed out from nosebleeds but strangely he didn't find himself reacting to her like he usually does. He's always been weak against women with big chests and strong sexual appeal. Rangiku practically screamed all that and more but today he didn't feel anything. Instead he watched in amusement as all the men were being carried away by the Fourth Division and many of their girlfriends or wives yelling at them.

"It seems you and I are the only ones not amused by Rangiku's _performance_." Shuuhei chocked out the sake he had been drinking at the sound of Captain Hitsugaya's voice. By the way he said performance told the Lieutenant that he was not impressed by the woman's behavior. But the cold hard gaze he was getting said the young man wasn't too pleased with him either. "Momo told me what you two have planned for this festival and everything that went between the two of you." His gaze turned sharp and Shuuhei swears his soul just froze over. He was going to die, right here and now Hitsugaya was going to kill him. "I do not approve of the two of you kissing nor to I plan to just stand by and allow you to toy with Momo's feelings."

"But I'm not-!" he tried to defend himself that he hadn't meant or wanted to mess around with the young peach girl but the tip of the Captain's sword to his face had him shutting up very fast.

"I do not know what you feel towards Momo but if you make her cry I guarantee there won't be any safe place for you to hide from me." His threat was true. If he found out this man caused Momo anymore pain he would hunt him down and make him suffer. Without another word he put the sword away and stalked off, a frown on his face the whole way back to his office.

Once he was out of sight and he could no longer feel his spiritual pressure Shuuhei fell to his needs and let out the breath he was holding in relief. "I thought he was going to kill me." He had seen his life pass before his eyes at the sight of the sword and the gaze the Captain had given him. He knew he was protective of the girl but he hadn't know just how deep that protective nature ran.

"Are you ok?" he jumped back to his feet, hands going to his sword in case he needed to defend himself but sighed in relief when he saw it was only Momo. "Yeah, I'm just a little jumpy." He didn't dare tell her the truth. If he complained then she would go to scold Hitsugaya who would come to enact his revenge for making the girl get angry at him.

Momo nodded, hands fidgeting with the lavender kimono she was wearing. For once she let her hair down and only a white rose clip was in the plum locks. "I see, that's good," she looked down at her feet, already the awkward tension filling the air surrounding them. "Hisagi-senpai..."

"Please, call me Shuuhei," he stopped her. It was strange but he wanted to hear his name come from her lips and not just his title. At the sight of her wide eyes and blushing face he mentally kicked himself. "I mean since we've known each other for so long we might as well call each other by our first names." He rambled out quickly, trying to keep her from thinking strange thoughts.

She nodded, face still burning. "Then please call me, Momo." She felt embarrassed but it also felt really nice to be able to call each other by their first names. "I was hoping we could talk about the...the..." she stuttered to get the words out. It was taking everything she had to even stand there and speak. After the kiss happened she ran to Toshio's office and told him everything that had happened and what she was feeling. After talking with him and a few others she came to a conclusion about what that kiss meant and now she needed to talk with Shuuhei.

"The kiss?" he finished for her, gulping down the nerves that were building up. Like Momo he had been thinking long and hard about their kiss and it took him a while to figure things out. Actually he was still really confused and unsure of himself but he knew they needed to talk. "Yeah, I wanted to talk with you too."

Momo nodded, "Well you see..." she had to tell him everything that she had been thinking and feeling ever since that moment happened. She had known him for years and they had never been even close to kissing or having any kinds of moments before but now that this had happened she wasn't sure what to feel or think towards him anymore. She needed to talk with him before she went crazy. "I want to-"

"And now for our next entry. The song is "Can I Have This Dance" and it's performed by...Momo Hinamori and Shuuhei Hisagi!?" Yachiru cried when she saw the two names and both the men and women association screamed in shock. Instantly their video started to play and the two felt their faces burn as every eyes in the entire festival landed on them. In all their confusion over the kiss they had forgotten to tell their friends about their plans for entering together and now everyone was looking at them, waiting for an explanation.

"Let's go!" Shuuhei grabbed her by the hand and took off running. He knew their friends would probably be annoyed and even angry but they had much more important things to do. They needed to talk about the kiss before their entire relationship become awkward and they couldn't stand to be in the same room with each other. So they ran. They ran through the crowded streets, turning down street corners until they were out of sight and away from anyone who could interrupt them. "We should be safe here." He huffed, trying to catch his breath from the sudden sprint they did. They were just outside the festival, the soft music could be heard in the background and the lanterns that were used for decorations were surrounding them.

Momo sat down on a bench, trying to catch her own breath and rest her now sore feet. The shoes she wore were not made for running but she wasn't angry. It was better they were away from everyone else. This way they could talk in peace and if things turned sour then no one would be there to see her cry. "Shuuhei, we need to talk." They couldn't put this off any longer.

Shuuhei didn't argue and sat down next to her. His hands laced together as he stared at the ground. "I know. If we don't it could ruin everything," he sighed, wishing these kinds of talks didn't need to be so heavy and nerve wrecking. "The kiss was surprising, really surprising. In fact it was the last thing I expected to ever happen."

Momo winced at his words, wishing he would chose words that didn't feel like they were cutting at her heart.

"But it wasn't bad," she perked up and turned to find him staring at her, a smile on his face. "In fact it was really nice." He needed to be honest with himself and with her if things were going to turn out fine.

She nodded, a smile of her own forming on her face. "Yes, I thought the same."

He chuckled at her cute behavior. "I never imagined you and I would kiss," he sat up, feeling much more confident now. "Have you kissed anyone before?" he asked, mind bringing up an image of Hitsugaya and he felt annoyed at the thought.

Momo nearly jumped out of her seat. "No! I mean, Shiro-Chan and I are just friends. We've never kissed." She felt even more embarrassed than before. It felt weird for talking about those kinds of things when it involved her childhood friend.

"I see," Shuuhei tried to stop his grin but had a hard time doing so. "So it was your first kiss?" this time he allowed his grin to take form when he saw her jump again but nodded nonetheless. "Well I think it was a nice way for a first kiss to happened." He laughed, hoping to lighten the mood and was pleased to see that it worked. She wasn't so jumpy anymore and smiling.

For a moment that's all they did. They didn't talk but instead were content just sitting there, staring at the other and enjoying the peaceful time they were spending together.

"I've never kissed anyone before and I've gone out with anyone either but I..." Momo gathered up every ounce of courage that she could muster. She had practiced this one line so many times but now it was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. "I was happy that I kissed you." It felt like her entire face erupted but she didn't let it bother her. He had to understand her feelings and what was going on through her head the whole time.

"Yeah," Shuuhei grinned, resting his forehead on top of hers and touch in her soft flowery scent. "Me too." He didn't regret kissing her and a part of him wanted to do it again.

Momo smiled. "I don't know what this means but I do know I wanted to spend more time with you, Shuuhei."

"Same here," he had been thinking the very same thing ever since the kiss happened. "I don't know where this might go but I would like to give us a chance." He couldn't say that he loved her but he could say that he liked her and he wanted to give dating a try. He always got along well with the young peach girl and maybe spending a little extra time together might make them realize there was something special between them.

Momo felt like her heart was soaring. "So now what do we do?" she's never been in a relationship before and she wasn't even sure if this was the start of one. All she knew was that she was happy and she didn't want this moment to end.

Shuuhei had to think. He didn't want to make things awkward again when they had just gotten everything under control. He didn't have to wait long for an idea to come and he jumped to his feet, one hand stretched out for her to take as he bowed. "Madam, would you care to dance?" he asked, with a thick accent of some place he couldn't even begin to name. He knew he probably looked weird but it was all worth it to the see her face light up.

She felt her heart skip a beat and wasted no time in taking his hand. Just like last time they dance to the music as they stared up into each other's eyes. It was just as magical as the last time they danced together. Even with the soft music of the festival in the background and the voices of their friends coming closer it felt like they were in their own world. This was what they needed. This moment and time together helped them see what they were missing in life and now they felt whole again. Sometimes a little music can go a long way but adding a little more to that can make it all worth wild.

**END **


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